The NCAA News - News and Features

November 17, 1997

ESPN takes a hard look at the state of sportsmanship

A November 4 ESPN panel discussion about sportsmanship is only part of a much larger effort to focus the nation's attention on ethical behavior by athletes, both on the field and off.

The program, "Sportsmanship in the '90s: Is Winning the Only Thing?" featured 16 panelists, including NCAA Executive Director Cedric W. Dempsey. In addition to the panel discussion, the examination of sportsmanship also included a segment of "Outside the Lines," a series in which ESPN probes sports-related issues.

The production -- a collaboration among the United States Olympic Committee, the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance (CTSA) and ESPN -- was the first part of a CTSA attempt to elevate the nation's awareness about sportsmanship.

Daniel Boggan Jr., NCAA chief operating officer and the Association's principal liaison to CTSA, said the program was successful, even if much of the attention did focus on the attitude of Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Cox.

Cox, who was featured in both "Outside the Lines" and the panel discussion, made headlines for his remarks, which minimized or disregarded the importance of sportsmanship.

"When I'm out on the field, I can commit as many crimes (as I can) on the field without going to jail," said Cox, who has paid $142,000 in fines during his National Football League career.

"Cox really set a context for the discussion," Boggan said. "He said things like, 'My duty is to inflict as much pain as I can,' and that he commits as many crimes as he can get away with on the field. But the other panelists were able to build off of his remarks and talk about the importance of sportsmanship."

Much of the discussion focused on whether athletes are role models -- in fact, the backdrop featured Charles Barkley's famous quote from a Nike ad: "I'm not a role model." But former University of Kentucky football coach Bill Curry said athletes don't have a choice about whether they are role models; the only question is whether they are positive models or negative ones.

"The games were designed with certain rules in mind," Curry said, "and part of those rules were rules of decorum."

Former University of Connecticut basketball star Rebecca Lobo reminded the panelists that athletes' actions are judged by everybody, not simply by adults. "Remember," she said, "little eyes are watching you."

Boggan said that the CTSA hopes to take such excerpts from the program and make them into public-service announcements that will be seen on NCAA telecasts throughout the year. He hopes the message goes beyond simply improving behavioral standards on the field of play, because he said the issue is bigger than that.

"Somehow, we need to say that when Jim Harbaugh slaps Jim Kelly or when Shaq slaps Greg Ostertag, it's not OK," said Boggan, referring to a pair of recent scuffles among top athletes. "Those guys weren't even competing when those incidents happened.

"But young people will imitate their actions. One thing can lead to another, and kids end up getting hurt, or worse. When that happens, saying 'I'm sorry' just doesn't get it."

The CTSA is made up of the NCAA, Major League Baseball, the NFL, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, the USOC and the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Boggan said that several significant actions will occur over the next several months that should aid in developing sportsmanship awareness: